CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Nov. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Good Start Genetics announced it has launched its VeriYouTM genetic test for couples on Amazon. VeriYou is the Company's saliva-based, NGS carrier screening test for two of the most common inherited genetic disorders: cystic fibrosis (CF) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Carrier screening is an important option for couples, since one in every 19 people in the U.S. carries a CF or SMA mutation that could be passed on to their children. If both partners carry a variant for the same disorder, there is a 25 percent chance the child will be born with the disorder.

"Despite widespread clinical availability of carrier testing, too few couples are getting screened today to promote a healthy pregnancy," said Jeffrey R. Luber, President and CEO of Good Start Genetics. "By bringing clinical-grade NGS testing to Amazon for $149, we believe we can vastly improve awareness, access, and broaden the adoption of carrier screening for millions of couples starting a family. With Amazon's analytics and information engine, we have the opportunity to bring the right test to the right individual at the right timea key promise of personalized medicine."

As the first genetic testing company with a direct Amazon relationship (in contrast to tests sold solely through third parties), Good Start is positioned to offer its physician-ordered genetic tests to couples at the right time, based on life stage insights from Amazon. The ubiquity and convenience of Amazon's marketplace, paired with Good Start's proprietary and low-cost NGS platform, will reduce barriers to enable access to millions of couples starting a family.

"Having had the privilege to lead several large product marketing initiatives at Amazon over the years, and helping grow several multi-million dollar franchises online at Amazon, we're excited to be working exclusively with Good Start Genetics as the first Amazon direct partner for genetic testing," commented Nater Youngchild, Principal with Seattle-based Resolut Partners, digital stewards for new product verticals within Amazon. "We're thrilled that Good Start's next-generation sequencing tests will be made more widely available at price points never previously seen for advanced testing of this kind."

As the nation's leading medical organization for women's health, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that all women of reproductive age (more than 60 million women) be offered genetic testing for CF, while the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) recommends screening for both CF and SMA.

About VeriYou:VeriYou was originally launched by the Company in September 2016. Once a prospective parent registers/activates their VeriYou test and submits the necessary family history and consent information, a licensed physician will review and order the test, if appropriate. Easy-to-understand results are delivered securely and interactively online along with educational information. This includes the ability to address follow-up questions with physicians directly and to connect with genetic counselors. VeriYou tests for 20 times more CF variants than the leading consumer genetics company (591 CF variants compared to 28 variants*). If both partners carry a variant for the same disorder, there is a 25 percent chance the child will be born with the disorder.

The Company has two tiers of testing: the first, serving the company's clinical relationships among fertility centers offering broad testing for CF, SMA, fragile X syndrome, sickle cell disease, familial dysautonomia, Canavan disease, Tay-Sachs disease and other disorders, as well as novel variant detection and genetic counseling services provided by Good Start; and the second tier, including its Amazon offering, providing CF and SMA testing for patients through physician-mediated channels and access to third party genetic counseling.

*At the time of launch, the VeriYou test screens for 591 cystic fibrosis variants versus 28 by a leading consumer genetics company. (This does not mean that VeriYou identifies 20 times more carriers.)

About Good Start Genetics:Good Start Genetics is an information solutions company delivering best-in-class genetics offerings to growing families. Using advanced clinical sequencing, proprietary methods and information tailored to the individual, the Company's suite of offerings arms clinicians and patients with insightful and actionable information to promote successful pregnancies and help build healthy families. The newly launched VeriYou broadens the Company's product portfolio to deliver carrier screening to families of all economic backgrounds. Its flagship genetic carrier screening service, GeneVu, is a comprehensive menu of highly-accurate tests for known and novel mutations that cause inherited genetic disorders, and its proprietary and advanced preimplantation genetic screening test, EmbryVu, based on technologies exclusively licensed from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is helping a wider range of couples find their paths to pregnancy at significantly lower costs. Good Start Genetics complements these offerings with world class customer care and access to genetic counseling to help families stay well- informed and best prepare for tomorrow. For more information, please visit http://www.goodstartgenetics.com or join us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.